Memories
by Lily272
Summary: Joey's dad worked in the orphanage where Seto was and they met there back when they were kids. Now years later Seto remembers that time not knowing that the boy he used to call puppy is Joey. But Mokuba knows and want's to get them together.


**Authors Note:** I had the idea for this after rereading my last one shot Building Bridges when I got it back from my friend who spell checked it. The background is similar, with Joey's dad having worked in the orphanage where Seto was just at this time, Joey and Seto have met back then. Also Seto isn't quite as down as he was in the last story. Hope you like this version from what could happen if Joey's dad had worked in that orphanage too.

And apart from the plot, I obviously don't own anything.

* * *

**Memories**

It's Friday night, close to midnight and Mokuba is sitting in the living room of the Kaiba mansion and just sent another text-message to his boyfriend when his older brother finally get's home from the office.

"You're late again." Mokuba points out. "And you promised not to be this late again."

"I'm sorry." Seto replies sitting down next to his brother, "Someone screwed up the graphics for the new game and I had to fix it."

"If you don't learn to let others, like the one responsible, do that or leave it for the next day, you'll get sick." Mokuba sighs, "And what's worse, you'll never find someone special, the way it's now I doubt you'll even have the time to get laid."

Seto looks at his younger brother for a moment. Of course he's not a child anymore and nearly out of high school but Seto is still not used to hear that kind of language from his kid brother, "If Leon is teaching you that kind of language, I will stop you two from seeing each other." Seto says, eyeing the mobile phone in his brothers hand and correctly assuming with whom he's been writing and from whom he's currently reciving yet a message.

"Oh come on, Seto." Mokuba rolls his eyes and replies to Leon's last message, "That really wasn't that bad but anyway, I think I heard that one first from Joey and not Leon."

"Then you should stop seeing the geek squat." Seto shrugs, certain that Mokuba won't listen to that advice anyway.

"I like hanging out with them." Mokuba replies, "And Leon does too, so suck it up."

It's quiet for a moment and both look towards the TV while Mokuba is receiving and sending a few more messages on his phone every now and then. After Seto watches the boring show for a while, noticing that Mokuba can hardly get it since he's mostly smiling stupidly towards his phone, he considers that it really might be time to at least try and find someone too but he isn't even sure how that someone should be. So far he didn't even think much about the gender. After seriously considering it for the first time he thinks back to his time in the orphanage. There had been a boy he and Mokuba had been fond of. A strange boy to be sure since he always told Seto that he loved him. He even stole Seto his first kiss. And after thinking about it now, it wasn't just the first kiss, it's actually the only kiss, if you don't count the good night kisses he got from Mokuba when he was little.

"Mokuba," He asks after trying to remember the name but failing to do so. He just remembers that they called each other by nicknames that no one else was allowed to use. Seto had called him puppy and the boy had called Seto his grumpy dragon. Even though as far as Seto remembers he hadn't been nearly as grumpy as he admittedly can be now. Not that he admits it to other. "Do you remember the name of that kid in the orphanage? The son of the cook that worked there."

Mokuba looks up at him in surprise and then grins and says, "You mean your puppy that wanted to marry you?"

"Yes, that's the one." Seto says with a grin, remembering how the boy had stubbornly said he would marry him when they're big boys. He'd always complained how it was unfair that little kids couldn't get married because he would have married his dragon then and there if he just could.

"Why are you even asking?" Mokuba asks curious, knowing the name full well but not willing to say it too soon.

"I don't know." Seto muses and leans his elbow against the armrest of the couch and his head on his hand with one finger touching his lips while remembering how soft and shy that first little kiss had been. Even though it was just a peck on his lips from another kid, Seto had enjoyed it and even thought about the kiss as well as his puppy a few times over the years. It might even be part of the reason he never considered anyone seriously, he does still miss that boy and would like to at least see him one more time before choosing anyone else. "I was just thinking about him and wondering what he might be up to."

"You liked him, didn't you?" Mokuba asks, remembering the way Seto had acted around the other back then. Seto always had blushed when their friend had said things like that but never really admitted how much he liked him, and usually even chided him for being silly and that he was way too young to make such statements.

"He was just annoying." Seto says with a tiny blush, his finger still on his lips, certain that Mokuba won't make anything of it since he can't possibly know about the kiss anyway.

"I can't believe it, you're still blushing." Mokuba squeals.

"I'm not." Seto replies.

"You're so blushing." Mokuba insists, "You wanna kiss him again?"

"What makes you think I ever did?" Seto asks, he'd never mentioned that to his brother and Mokuba hadn't been anywhere close. He'd been so sure that there's no way that Mokuba could know about it. And Seto is not willing to admit to anything easily, just in case Mokuba is just guessing that he might have.

"Oh, I played truth or dare with him and a few others three years ago and when he said truth, Yugi asked him when he had his best kiss and he said that he was 11 and with his dad at work and kissed the boy he wanted to marry back then." Mokuba replies, grinning at his brothers face. "Yugi asked who the boy was, but he pointed out that Yugi had asked when but not with whom, so he won't have to answer and after that he only did dares. Too bad apart form me everyone wanted to ask him who it was. I just wanted to ask if he still wants to marry you."

"You met him again?" Seto asks surprised and feeling his heart beat accelerate just like it had back then whenever his puppy had been close or said things like that he loved him. "And he really said that?"

"Yeah." Mokuba says, hardly able to believe that Seto really doesn't remember the name and clearly hadn't recognized him. Well he had changed and Seto hadn't seen him with his father again and even Mokuba only had figured it out when he'd been over to his place with Yugi and seen the old cook again. He hadn't changed quite as much as his son had at the start of adolescent.

"How is he? And why didn't you say anything?" Seto asks, clearly upset about the fact that Mokuba seems to have been close enough to him to play truth and dare three years ago and Seto hadn't even known.

"As far as I know he's on a date tonight." Mokuba replies, curious how his brother will react to that piece of information.

"He's what?" Seto asks, sounding even more pissed. "First he says that he's going to marry me whether I want to or not, then that it was the best kiss and now that. Stupid idiot." The last two words are mumbled hardly audible.

"Jealous?" Mokuba asks grinning. "I doubt you'd have to be. Tristan set that up because he's been single since, well forever I guess. Tristan tried to talk him into that blind date for ages. I doubt it's going to work out since your puppy mainly agreed to it to get Tristan off his back and if I'm right about that, I might be able to get you a date with him. But for that you'd have to admit that you like him."

Seto looks suspiciously at Mokuba, still clearly angered and then asks, "Who's to say that he'd still want it? He's out on a date as we speak. It might go a little better than you think. And even if it isn't, he's clearly over me since he never once tried to get closer to me again through you."

"I'll find out how it went before telling him that he can get a date with you, so he won't know that you'd like him if he's not interested anymore, deal?" Mokuba asks.

"Just because oner date didn't go well is no reason to assume that he wants me." Seto reminds his brother, "Like I said, he didn't even try to contact me."

"Oh you saw him a few times but been real nasty, so I guess you just scared him off." Mokuba muses, "But the way he talked about the kiss that time and that he is still single make me bet that he's still into you. Just give it a try, I promise not to say a thing before I have every reason to assume that he'll like you."

"Fine, but I'm not saying that I like him, I just want to talk to him again." Seto says, "And what was his name now?"

"You'll see." Mokuba says and jumps off from the couch towards his room screaming. "Night big bro, talk to you tomorrow."

"Get back here you little." Seto screams and runs after him to find out his puppy's name again but, thanks to a head start, Mokuba is in his room and has the door locked before Seto can get there. After that Mokuba walks into his own bathroom to make sure that Seto can't listen in on his conversation.

He calls Joey right away and once the blond picks up he asks. "How is the date going?"

"Been there, done that, and I'm home now." Joey says, sounding annoyed before adding, "So there clearly is no reason for you to sound that excited."

"Oh trust me I have every reason." Mokuba says feeling giddy. "I can hook you up with a much better date."

"Forget it." comes the immediate response.

"Oh come on." Mokuba begs, "Seto will be so disappointed if he doesn't get a date with you."

It's quiet for so long that Mokuba wonders if Joey fainted until he finally hears the blond reply, "You're kidding me, right? I mean, he hates me. He's been mostly annoyed with me back then but by now he hates my guts."

"He didn't even recognize you and asked me if I remembered the name of his puppy and I couldn't believe that he had to ask me that." Mokuba explains. "But the way he looked he thought about that kiss you talked about during that truth or dare game. So do you still want to marry him?"

"Honestly Mokuba, I'm not a kid anymore, so slow your horses." Joey asks wearily. "Did you even tell him that it's me before trying to get me that date?

"Nope." Mokuba says, "But he really wants a date with you."

"He wants a date with his puppy." Joey points out. "Not a street mutt and that's all he sees in me now."

"But you're one and the same and once he gets that he's bound to kiss your brains out." Mokuba insists, "Just promise me that you'll go when I write you the details later."

"It's not the same, Mokuba." Joey says, "I've changed and so has he. He doesn't give a rats ass about me and I don't even know if I still do. Not with the way he's acting all high and mighty by now."

"Don't say that." Mokuba says disappointed. "He just needs someone who will talk back at him and pull him back down to earth if he get's too high and mighty and you're perfect for that anyway. And he really likes you."

"If he'd knew it's me, he wouldn't want that date." Joey insists.

"And if I'll tell him first and he's still interested, will you go then?" Mokuba asks, not planning on letting Seto find out but fearing that he won't be able to get Joey to go otherwise.

"Fine." Joey sighs, "But I really doubt that it's going to do any good, even if he wants it. Neither of us is the same that we've been back then."

Mokuba can't help but grin after hearing the disappointment in Joey's voice. He had noticed it a few times, especially whenever he talked about Seto not wanting him anymore. He even sounded hurt when Joey had said that Seto hates his guts. There clearly is still hope for them. And Mokuba will try everything to get Seto with someone he clearly likes rather than letting him start to think about someone that would fit with his image and social standing, assuming that he won't get the one he really loves. And Mokuba fears that Seto will do either that or stay single forever.

"Great." Mokuba cheers, "Then I go and tell Seto and then send you the details. And don't worry, I bet you'll two will work out perfectly." After that he ends the call, walks out of his bathroom to open the door to his room and look up to a still taller and angry looking brunet. Mokuba just grins, "It's all set, just tell me where and when, I'll text him that and your puppy will go there and wait for his dragon. And by the way, he's really a little scared off by the way you treated him, so be nice or you're really going to lose him, got it?"

"I talked to him?" Seto asks, still glaring about the fact that Mokuba clearly refused to tell him who it is and running through his brain to figure it out. By now he even has an assumption and wonders if it could be true.

"Of course you did." Mokuba grins up at him. "I'd suggest you'd take him to some small little restaurant maybe the Italian one close to your office. It's not too posh and has a few tables that are pretty secluded to give you two some privacy. Can you make it there by eight or should I rather book you two a table for nine?"

Seto keeps glaring at his brother before asking, "It's the mutt, isn't it?"

Mokuba stares at him in surprise before suggesting, "Don't call him that tomorrow. Unless you really do want to get rid of him permanently." The two brothers are looking at each other and Mokuba prays that Seto won't ruin it now. He'd been hoping that they would get together again ever since they had been adopted and been disappointed with the way their relationship had turned out after re-meeting in high school.

"Make it seven." Seto replies and leaves his younger brother pondering if it's a good idea to even try and meet Joey again.

Mokuba just grins, mumbling "Guess you can't wait till eight." After that he looks up the number of the restaurant and books a table for two with as much privacy as possible on Seto's name and then sends Joey the details. He also writes that Seto had figured out who he is before Mokuba could tell, since what he had said already had limited the possible persons. Mokuba is sure that Seto only figured it out because he had mentioned that Yugi had played truth or dare with them and that Tristan had set up the date. And there simply isn't anyone else in their group that even remotely resembles Seto's little puppy.

During that time Seto walks towards his own room to get ready for the night. He'll have to be at work early to be ready in time and wonders himself why he had insisted on seven rather than eight or nine.

During that night Seto dreams of Joey, of kissing him and hearing him saying the same things his Puppy used to say. Even a promise he gave Seto when they had to say goodbye to each other because Mokuba and he got adopted.

During the next day Seto actually has a hard time to focus for the first time in his life and at half seven he's about to leave the office when someone approaches him, stating, "There is some problem with the graphics of the flowers since we added the animals that walk in the background."

"Who added them?" Seto asks, betting everything he has that the flowers and animals should have to work with each other. He himself had done the graphics of the animals for that game, so whoever put it in must have made a mistake. The employee, who had approached Seto, gave the name of a new employee who already had done a couple of similar mistakes in the short time he'd been there. "Then tell him to get it fixed by Monday morning and that since he made the mistake I'm not paying him overtime but I will pay overtime for one person that can help him and is willing to do so. If he can find such a person. If it's not done, he'd better be gone by the time I return on Monday."

"Aren't you going to fix it?" The employee asks surprised.

Seto just glared at him and asks, "Did I make the mistake?"

"No, of course not, Mister Kaiba." the man says timidly. "I would never think that but you still usually help."

"I don't have time tonight, so he'll have to fix it himself." Seto replies, "And now stop wasting my time or I'll run late for my date."

The elevator doors aren't even closed when Seto hears the man ask another employee who had been close by throughout the conversation, "Did he just say date?"

With a sigh Seto realizes that he's now going to be the center of the companies gossip for a couple of weeks at the very least and hopes that something more interesting will replace that soon. But if this night works out the way he wants it too, he'd be in that position anyway.

Seto drives his sports car towards the restaurant Mokuba had suggested and booked a table in and once he parked his car just a few minutes later, he looks at his watch. It's two minutes before seven and Seto wonders if Joey will already be there. With he sigh he realizes that he should have asked Mokuba if Joey had said anything about the date he had last night. Does Joey even consider this a real date or just seeing an old friend and talking about the good old days while he's together with the guy from last night?

With a sigh Seto tries to ban that thought from his mind. Mokuba had promised to find out about that first and wouldn't have set this up if his chances were already completely gone. They can't be too good either considering how they had fought during high school. And Seto hadn't seen Joey since they graduated. And that means, that Joey broke the promise he made him during their goodbye in the orphanage.

Once inside a waiter approaches him right away. "Good evening, Mister Kaiba." The waiter says and Seto quickly notices that he's overjoyed with the fact that someone as well known and rich as Kaiba is coming to this restaurant. Considering the fact that it clearly isn't a high class restaurant it doesn't really come as a surprise to him. After checking it out online the previous night, Seto found out that the food is supposed to be nearly high class when one of the cooks is in but that the standard of that quite noticeably goes down when he's not and Seto really hopes that the owner got his best cook working tonight. "Your guest is already at the table, Mister Kaiba, please follow me."

"Not necessary." Kaiba replies, already having looked around while the man clearly tried to suck up to him and spotted Joey's blond mop of hair behind a high reaching potted plant in a corner. He walks over to Joey and just sits down, noticing right away that Joey already has a big glass of coke in front of him. "Good evening." Seto says, not knowing what to say, even though he had tried to think of something a few times during the day.

"Nice seeing ya again." Joey says and doesn't sound quite as cheerful as he used to during high school or as a kid. He sounds more weary.

It's quiet for a moment until the waiter, that had been greeting Seto, brings a menu to the table and holds it out for Seto and asks "Do you already know what you'd like to drink?"

Seto eyes it for a moment before looking at the waiter and then looking at Joey. "Did you already order your food?"

"No." Joey says surprised, he had been waiting for Seto and noticing the angry look Seto is now throwing towards the waiter, Joey quickly adds, "But I know the menu inside out and he knows that."

Joey sees Seto looking back at him before ordering the best red wine they have and after the waiter is gone to get it Seto asks, "I take it that you're here frequently?"

"You could say that." Joey says grinning. "I'm here a few times each week."

"Anything you can recommend?" Seto asks, looking towards Joey after looking over the menu, that to his surprise has quite a big range of food and a few three or even five course meals.

"Depends on what ya like." Joey says. "But everything is great."

"I heard that the quality is decreasing when the best of the chefs has his day off." Seto states, when a glass of wine is already placed at his side of the table by the waiter, who silently retreats again, "Since you're here so often, I assume you can tell me if that's true."

"I don't know." Joey says, "I never came when that guy wasn't here."

"Then he is here tonight?" Seto asks.

"He used to have the day off but from what I've heard he was asked to make your dish." Joey replies.

"He'd better make yours too then." Seto grumbles, wondering if he should make clear that he does want Joey to have the very best. He might not have been sure why he felt so restless to see him before, but the way his heart beat accelerates with every smile from the blond makes it clear that he still hopes to hold his Puppy's heart.

"Don't worry about that." Joey replies, "I'm always starving, so I eat everything and when I'm not eating plenty of stuff here, I just put something in a microwave and it can't possibly be worse than what comes out there."

"I agree." Seto says but still decides to point out that it's more important to him that Joey will get something great. "Is that why you eat here? Because you can't cook?"

"Who said I can't?" Joey asks, "I just said I don't and it is bothersome to cook for just one person and I'm just too lazy for that."

"So you can cook?" Seto asks. He's never even tried to do so himself and either eats out or has one of his maids prepare him some snack.

"Sure." Joy replies, "And I've been told to be rather good."

"Then maybe I should let you cook me something next time." Seto muses with a smile and wonders how it will taste and what Joey would make for him?

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asks them after nearly silently approaching and Joey notices that Seto hadn't seen him walking over and looks upset about the sudden interruption.

Seto is just about to ask 'Do I look ready?' and glare at the waiter some more when Joey quickly says, "Meal 3 twice, please." And then grabs the menu out of Seto's hand before he can check what Meal 3 had been and hands it to the waiter, who, after the glare he had gotten, quickly runs off.

Seto now glares at Joey, who just grins back, saying, "You asked for my recommendation and I really don't want ya to glare at everyone here, because they might blame me and not let me back in, so cool it."

"I asked for a recommendation." Seto grumbles, "And not that you take the choice out of my hands completely."

"Well, you also mumbled that you want that chef to make my food too." Joey points out, still grinning. "And I want menu 3 because it's his specialty and if we both have the same it's way more likely that he makes both, instead of two chefs making the same."

"Whatever." Seto sighs not complaining any more since he never really cared much about what he eats anyway and Joey does have a point that this way this presumably best chef here will make Joey's food too. "Will you at least tell me what you ordered for us?"

"First you get Arancini Di Riso, then Zuppa di Porcini, after that we'll have Spezzatino di Manzo al Cioccolato, then comes a Grilled Vegetable salad depending on the season and to finish it of you get Espresso Chocolate Mousse with Orange Mascarpone Whipped Cream so you get something with caffeine, happy?" Joey asks grinning. Seto finds the combinations of meals partly unusual

"It will do." Seto says finding the combinations of meals partly unusual but he's mostly surprised that Joey really knows a full five course meal that includes plenty of Italian words and even pronounces everything correctly. "I still haven't gotten an answer to my suggestion from before we've been so rudely interrupted."

"Oh, cry me a river." Joey mumbles, "He just did his job, but sure I guess I could cook you something if there is a next time?"

"You promised." Seto reminds him.

"I can't remember ever having said anything like it but ya can explain that in a sec, I need to take the coke someplace, so ya have to excuse me." Joey grumbles and stands up to go to the bathroom. Seto just stares at the empty seat, thinking that Joey must have forgotten that promise he gave. The most important one of all.

"Stupid mutt." He grumbles upset and waits for him to return and right after he does the Arancini Di Riso are brought to the table and they eat. Seto doesn't start about the promise for now and just tries to keep it to easy chatter, not willing to risk the relatively relaxed atmosphere.

Only half an hour and two courses later and Joey had left for the bathroom twice and is receiving the third phone call for which he stands up and walks off somewhere and Seto is considering to just leave, since Joey clearly doesn't seem to be all that interested if he's constantly on the phone when Seto's own phone vibrates once. He takes it out to read the massage he must have gotten, since Joey is currently not at the table anyway and sees that Mokuba wrote "How is it going?"

"Bad. He's either in the bathroom or on the phone for at least half the time." Seto replies, upset to notice this after realizing that he really does care about Joey at least as much as he had when Joey was his puppy back in the orphanage, maybe even more by now.

Joey just returns when the reply comes and Seto looks at it anyway, since Joey clearly doesn't mind to talk on the phone during their date either. "If the food tastes great...then he's not in the bathroom or on the phone. His boss might have been a bit too keen to impress you."

"Everything okay?" Joey asks, wondering if Seto's massage had been from work and hoping that he won't have to leave because of some problem there. The way he glares towards the phone it clearly wasn't something he liked.

"You work here." Seto states, his glare is redirected at Joey.

Joey just blushes a little, "Kinda." He replies, "But it is my day off."

"But you're still making one meal, aren't you?" Seto growls.

"Guess I'm busted." Joey just shrugs. "Don't be mad. I just wanted to know if you'd like my cooking, since ya probably only go to high class places that have at least an three star chef."

"You could at least have told me." Seto grumbles, still upset.

"But then ya wouldn't have been objective. Now you told me after everything ya already had that ya liked it, even though ya didn't know that it was me who made most of it." Joey replies.

"Most of it?" Seto asks.

"You really think I'd be sitting here at all if I did all that alone?" Joey asks and wonders if Seto ever entered a kitchen, "There are others working back there and they prepare everything and I just see if it's good or add a few spices before it goes out, at least that was the plan but they needed me a few times, hence the calls."

And like on cue it rings yet again and Joey just piked up and is about to say something when Seto grabs it and says into the phone, "He's busted and stays, so just get the food done on your own." After that Seto tries to turn it off, only to notice that Joey has it password protected and that Seto can't do anything right now.

"Turn it off." Seto orders, not even returning it before he has the answer he wants to hear.

"How?" Joey says with a shrug, "You're holding it but the password is dragon, so do it yourself." Seto looks surprised but smiles after a moment and his mood is suddenly much better again while he turns it off. "How did you figure out that I work here?" Joey asks after Seto passes the turned off phone back to it's owner.

"Mokuba." Seto says, "He asked how it's going, I told him that you're mostly gone and he pointed out that if the food is really good, your boss would make you work."

The glare is back all of a sudden and Joey says, "He didn't really have to. Like I said, I wanted to know if you'd like it and sort of wanted ya to like the food while ya out with me too, so I would have made sure anyway. Can I really not go and see what they want? It's gonna taste better if I do."

"You usually eat microwave food, so you don't care and I don't either." Seto points out, "But I do care about you leaving me here alone all the time. But if you rather leave me to eat something better yourself, you may go."

The glare on Seto's face clearly says that if Joey leaves, he won't be there when Joey returns. So with a sigh Joey stays where he is. "I guess ya win." Joey says and stays where he is.

It's quiet for a while until the next course arrives and Joey quickly eats a bit of his beef before shouting towards a waitress, "Sabrina" Once the girl looks over, Joey waves her towards them and stands up to whisper something into her ear. She just grins and nods before disappearing. Seto is about to have his first bite by then but Joey just reaches over the table and puts a hand on Seto's that is holding the fork. "Just wait a second, okay?"

Seto raises an eyebrow but by then Sabrina rushes back to the table with two spices in her hands and Joey puts a bit from both over Seto's meat, grabbing Seto's utensils and turning the meat, just to put some of the spices on that side. After that he returns the utensils to Seto and the spices to Sabrina with a "Thanks, you're a lifesaver."

She just rolls her eyes, saying, "Sure, I bet he'd have died of too little spicing on his meat."

After that she leaves and Seto just asks, "Didn't you forget something?" Joey just looks questioningly, "You forgot to put some on your plate."

Joey just grins, "Nah, I'm just too lazy and don't care about that, as long as yours is good."

Seto just rolls his eyes and smiles a little. "You don't have to do that though." He points out, "I really don't mind that much about how it tastes."

"But you care when I go, right?" Joey says, still sounding a little unsure and has the cutest little blush on his cheeks while he's looking straight to his plate.

"Correct." Seto states, smiling at Joey's reaction, "I care about that very much." Joey smiles a little and still looks towards his plate with a blush when Seto decides that maybe his chances are better than he previously thought.

"But you did say earlier that you'd like to have something I made." Joey points out in his defense for leaving him.

"I know." Seto says, enjoying to watch Joey blush for a change. It used to always be him when they were kids because of Joey's nearly constant declarations of love and that he would marry his dragon when he's old enough. "And I still would like that, but only if I can enjoy your company too. So next time you want to cook for me, do something simple that can be prepared previously, so you can sit down and enjoy it with me."

"Okay." Joey says with a little smile and continues to eat. Both are quiet for another while but then Joey starts to ask Seto about his work and how it's going there. In return Seto does ask a few questions too, like about his sister. Remembering that even as a child his puppy had occasionally talked about that sister that he missed. He just never mentioned her name or else Seto might have figured this out sooner. Seto watches him and when Joey eats a bit form his next course and is about to look for a waiter or waitress again, Seto just tells him to be quiet and quickly eats something before his puppy can stop him. The food still is fine but he assumes that it could have been better if he'd let Joey do as he wanted.

It is quiet again for a moment and the last course is nearly done when Joey asks, "The promise ya talked about, ya know with a next one, did Mokuba say something about me promising something like that directly or did ya mean the old one? Ya know, from the day ya got adopted?"

"The old one." Seto says, happy that Joey at least seems to remember and hopes that he intends to keep it too after all.

"I guess ya kept yours now too, didn't ya?" Joey asks.

Seto is quiet, he hadn't thought about it but he had given a promise too. Back then he even thought that it had to be kept in order for Joey to keep his.

It seems like Joey could have kept his, he decided not to until Seto had. "I promised to find you." Seto replies, "And I have. Will you keep yours now?"

"Do ya want me to?" Joey asks and Seto could hear a hopeful tone in the blond's voice. "Back then ya said I really shouldn't have to go that far."

"You still promised." Seto replies and with a slight blush and while looking towards his by now empty plate, he adds, "And I do hope you'll keep it."

Joey looks at Seto with a smile until he looks back up to see Joey's reaction, since he didn't reply yet. Joey stands up then and walks over to Seto. He sits down on Seto's lap without asking and says, "I'm not a kid, so let me point out that I never said when or how soon after ya find me. But I will keep it. I will make ya marry me, even if ya don't want to." And then he slowly leans closer to give Seto a chance to stop him but when he doesn't attempt to do so, Joey gently puts his lips on Seto's. Just for a moment, just like he had back on that day to seal his promise with his first and only kiss so far.

This time the kiss doesn't stay quite as innocent, since Seto is soon trying to get more of his puppy. Finally certain that he can have him. After a moment Seto stops and just shouts towards the nearest waiter, "Bring the bill, now."

"Ya wanna go home already?" Joey asks, looking a little upset at him.

"I do." Seto says and looks deep into his puppy's eyes, when he adds, "But I don't want to go home alone."

Joey blushes, now that Seto is the one that's trying to speed up the pace. Seto kisses him again but this time even more heated than before and he moves a hand on Joey's leg and slowly moves it up until Joey puts his hand on Seto's to stop him, saying, "Okay you win I come with but please remember that I work here."

Seto just grins smugly and once the waitress brought the bill, he quickly places plenty of money on the table and says, "Keep the change," before pulling Joey out of the restaurant.

* * *

On the afternoon of the following day Joey enters the Kame Game Shop together with Mokuba. They all wanted to meet up there again. "Hi guys." Joey says cheerfully, after having stayed with his dragon until a few moments ago, who kindly had pointed out to his puppy that he doesn't give shit about when the wedding will be, as long as Joey remembers that he had already promised to marry him, so he better consider himself engaged and that for is clearly off the marked for blind dates.

After that Mokuba had gotten the assignment to make sure that everyone knows about that before Mokuba leaves, even if Joey fails to mention it and to make sure to take Joey back with him. Joey had simply reminded Seto that, engaged or not engaged, he still has a his own home and he's gonna keep it. On top of that will they both have to work on Monday, so he better not get his panties in a twist when Moki comes home alone.

"I'm not talking to you." Tristan says, glaring towards Joey.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you saying that to me?" Joey asks, too giddy to fret about Tristan's words.

"Please stop fighting." Yugi begs, while Leon is walking to Mokuba and whispers something in his ear. "And Joey, you really should apologize."

"Why?" Joey asks, "What did I do?"

"You broke my friend's nose." Tristan grumbles. "You can be happy that he doesn't sue you."

"Oh let him try, he isn't gonna win anyway." Joey grumbles after being reminded of his date on Friday. "He tried to kiss me ten times and I told him to quit and then he tries to push me against the wall and kiss me by force while holding my wrists. So I headbutted him hard enough to get it into his thick skull to quit trying. And it sure as hell isn't my fault that his nose isn't as hard as his head."

"He tried what?" Yugi asks worried. "Oh I hope he didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine." Joey points out and waves him off, "I can take care of myself."

"You still better not let Seto know." Mokuba points out, "The broken nose will be the least of his problems if Seto hears about what he tried."

"That could be true." Joey says.

"Oh right, because that jerk can kiss you without getting a broken nose." Tristan grumbles.

"How do you know?" Joey asks.

"Because all of Domino knows." Yugi says and picks up a newspaper that was lying on a shelf close by, "That's what happens when you're dating someone who's sort of famous."

Joey looks at the picture that Yugi is holding up and sees himself being pressed against Kaiba's sports car by no one else than Kaiba, who of course is kissing him silly. "Never thought the press would be that fast." He says, scratching the back of his head, "And to be honest, I never even thought that they'd care about me dating the guy. He's known for his brains and company, so who cares about who he kisses?"

"For starters, I care about who let's himself be kissed by a jerk like him rather than my pal from work." Tristan grumbles.

"I know that you hate him," Joey replies, "But it's still my choice who gets to kiss me and I wouldn't blame you for breaking Kaiba's nose if he ever tries to kiss you. Especially if he tries while he's still engaged to me." Mokuba giggles and already decides to let Seto know about that later. And possibly at least let him know that Joey broke someone's nose for trying to kiss him. He might get mad at the one who did it, but he'd love to hear that Joey hadn't let anyone else kiss him.

"He's what?" All of Joey's friends ask shocked. A little less than 24 hours ago Joey had still been single and now he's engaged?

"He's engaged to me as he kindly reminded me earlier." Joey says with a sigh. "I never thought he'd take it that serious though."

"You were drunk last night, weren't you?" Tristan assumes and already plans to try and get Joey to dump the jerk.

"No, not at all." Joey states, "But when I told him that I'd want to marry him, we were eleven years old."

Everyone is staring at him until Yugi says, "He's the one you kissed. When you talked about what kiss had been the best you ever had."

"Yeah." Joey grins, "And he got way better." After that he looks at Tristan and says, "Sorry that ya mad about what happened with your pal, but I still would do it again if he tried something like that again, so if you ever invite him when I'll be there, warn him to stay the hell away from me."

"You could have at least told me that you date Kaiba." Tristan says, "I wouldn't have put you two up for that date in the first place." Not that he wouldn't have tried to get him on a blind date but he'd chosen another co-worker that actually looks a tiny bit like Seto Kaiba, which is why Tristan had chosen not to pick him before. Thinking that Joey would never date someone that even looks like Kaiba.

"I wasn't dating him at the time." Joey says. And even though he sort of insists that the engagement is still valid, I'm not gonna run off and marry him right now. I always tried to get him back then, it's really nice having him chasing after me for a change now and I intend to keep it that way as long as I can."


End file.
